Currently available heating systems for ski boot are generally battery powered. These battery powered ski boot heaters require means for turning the battery power on and off. The systems are generally either molded integrally into the boot or attached to the outside. In each case, some type of switch mechanism is required.
Insofar as the applicant is aware, currently available controls are unreliable since they are generally unsealed and therefore susceptible to moisture damage. Additionally-, many controls are provided with simple knobs which are not particularly sturdy, project unnecessary far from the boot and therefore are easily broken or susceptible to damage. Since ski boots, hiking boots and other footwear having such heat controls are subject to frequent mechanical shock and impact, damage to the heating controls is quite common.
Additionally, some controls for boot heating elements use battery operated L.E.D.'s to indicate whether or not the heater is on. These indicators are small, difficult to see in bright sunlight and are susceptible to damage.
Additionally, currently available boot heating controls use miniature connectors of the type frequently used on calculators. These miniature connectors have no moisture or mechanical protection and are susceptible to corrosion.
Since many boot heaters have controls integrally molded into the boot to achieve stability and ruggedness, damage to the electrical system, which renders the control inoperative, result in a permanently attached component which is useless. Additionally, such integrally formed attachments occupy a significant portion of the boot, thus, limiting the boot designer's choice with respect to components normally used for boot adjustment. Additionally, the permanent nature of the boot control for those ski boots which the control is an integral part, preclude detachment of the heater when it's not needed.